Roronoa Zoro
by blanc-hiver
Summary: The cover had “Roronoa Zoro” written on it. It is said: ‘I wrote this book in my years of college as the reminiscence of unforgettable memories.’ ZoLu, slight KohzaVivi -two chapters complete- REVISED
1. Memory

**Hi! *nervous movements* Owh…this is my first ZoLu one-shot! I'm sooo-uh nervous! Please be gentle *puppy eyes*. Anyway, read and review. Lemme repeat that, read and REVIEW. Ne? Okay, enjoy…**

**Later note: REVISED. Becomes 2 chapters **

~0~hiver~0~

**Roronoa Zoro**

-Chapter 1: Memory-

He sat on a chair, hunched over, eyes on the boy. Papers were all over his working desk, full of illegible handwriting. It had been the fourth time he questioned the boy, but all in vain. Sighing, he prodded the boy's shoulder gently, smiling as the boy flinched to tell him he meant no harm.

Once again he asked, "What is, or are, your problems with people?"

The boy was also tired of the subsequent questions. He looked up disgustedly and said, "I hate them."

The psychologist let go of him and flipped through the papers on his table, checking the boy's data again. The boy was confused by the doctor's behavior. The previous psychologists would look at him in sympathy and tried to cheer him up after hearing his statement. They would run their imaginations about how antisocial he was and how badly ruined his life had been. He did not want sympathy. He didn't think that he would have gone to the psychologist if his mother had not made him.

After several awkward seconds, the older man gazed at him and spoke, "What about your parents?"

It took him a while to catch the question. The boy held his breath. "I have a wonderful mother."

The psychologist gave a questioning look and continued, "Father?"

For a moment he froze. His face grew upset as he shook his head. "No father."

Hearing the response, the doctor sighed deeply, played with his fingers, and replied, "I understand. Your condition."

The boy watched him in disbelief. The doctor laughed, making the younger person confused. After the laugh ceased, he grinned.

"I was antisocial," he stated, "with much worse situation than yours."

Again the boy raised an eyebrow. The boy's response was amusing; he turned his chair and explained, "I'm going to talk about my past. Is that acceptable?"

Even though the boy groaned, his head was filled with curiosity. He nodded. Eager to recall, the man grimaced, "It was fifteen years ago…when I was sixteen and a sophomore…"

"Excuse me." A woman in her thirties interrupted.

The doctor blinked in amazement but then smiled warmly at the boy's mother. His mother had been waiting outside the patient's room for more than fifteen minutes because the doctor needed to talk to the patient alone.

Anxiously, the mother surged in. "Sweetheart, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he answered.

The older man could tell that the boy loved his mother a lot, but his mother's love was greater. As the two were talking, the doctor walked over to his bookshelf, searching. He paid no attention to the mother's questions until he found an old, brown leather notebook. Slowly he blew off the dust and looked it over as old memories flooded back.

"Doctor?" The woman asked.

"Oh, sorry about that," he smirked, "Don't worry, your son is fine. He is the most interesting kid I've ever met."

Ignoring the mother's bewilderment, the doctor handed the old book to the boy.

"Here, um, what was your name again?" He hesitated, rewinding his memory, "Oh right, Kohza." Contented by his success in remembering his patient's name, he reiterated, "Here, Kohza."

Kohza looked at the brown book, not moving.

"It's my diary," the man explained, "You can read the continuation of my story here."

Deliberately, the boy raised an arm and accepted it.

The doctor grinned and handed him a piece of paper with his phone number written on it, "I'm available this Saturday on 10 AM. Return it to me when you're finished."

***

It was night. The sky was covered by the myriad illumination of stars. Through the window he could see it all. Fresh from a bath, Kohza dressed in his pajamas and headed to his bed, determined to sleep. Climbing the bed, he was lost in thought. His mind was walking an oblique path; strangely though, it always ended in the thought of the doctor and his old, leather book. Strange… He felt that everything about that doctor was strange. Not only his green hair, or his three earrings, not only his tan skin, or his cold-yet-warm smile, not only his rounded personality… Something about that man reminded him of himself, but he could not tell what. After a while, he rose, walked toward the desk, and found the book where he had left it. The cover had "Roronoa Zoro" written on it. Maybe it was the doctor's name, he thought. He opened the pages at a snail's pace, one by one. After reading the front page, he realized that this was no diary. It was an auto-biography. It is said: 'I wrote this book in my years of college as the reminiscence of unforgettable memories.' Eyes glued on the sentence, he continued to read the next pages.

***

I lived with my dreadful father. To be honest, I had never called him father; instead, I used 'old man'. That man was a drunkard, a bad one. Since my mother died and he lost his job, he was in a deep depression, one stage before going to be crazy. That geezer's hobbies were drinking beer, watching football on TV, and last, abusing. Everyday, I tried my best to avoid going home because he was always there, behind the door, playing with a bat as he sat watching TV. He hit with no particular reason; just fond of violence. That was the worst thing to be fond of.

School was as boring as ever, but it was better than home. The thing I hated most about school was the people. They were everywhere, and I hated passing them or being accidentally touched by them. I hated the touch, even if it was just a slight pat. Once… or maybe thrice, I punched people for bumping into my shoulder. I did not mean to, my arm went by itself. The bullies thought I was just a cocky sophomore. They came in groups(1), facing me with those ruthless eyes. They were taking me lightly; they didn't know that I knew martial arts. Hits, punches, kicks, those were the old man's _only_ special ability. I guess I always paid attention to his movements. Ironically, I learnt it from him.

Eventually, people started to avoid me. That was good. All I needed to do was glare and people opened a path for me to walk. While I walked around the hall, they looked at me as if seeing a monster, but I didn't care. I couldn't help fighting bullies; they were the ones who always dragged me into fight. With my sense of survival, I clenched my fists for them.

Time passed. People started calling me Bully-hunter. Rumors of my notoriety were spread around the school. Bully-hunter was not my name, not even close . It was Roronoa Zoro, always had been.

Adelaide was very quiet, or maybe it was just my opinion. It needed more…cadence. I was always by myself, but just one, only one, thing invigorated me. Music. The tunes…allayed my fear, sadness, loneliness, and confusion. I was in love with my guitar. I named it Enel, which meant 'God of Lightning'. I found him in a dusty shed when the old man locked me in. That place was damp and dirty, it seemed like an abandoned city in the middle of a desert. I was sitting in the corner, hugging my legs from the cold, when I saw a hazy object beside my broken bicycle. Stimulated by curiosity, I crept forward toward the object and groped it lightly until a silent tune came. Again, I picked the string on the object, and it created another tune. It was then that I realized that it was the old guitar that my dead uncle used to play. I blew the dust off and began picking its strings one by one, correcting the false tune. I could hear the off notes. Tuning it by ear came naturally to me. From that day on, I was not lonely. I had a friend, a guitar.

It was April 17th 2009, in other words, autumn, my favorite season, but the old man hated it so much that he would beat me harder than you could ever imagine. And so I ran, ran away from home, taking Enel with me. I had just gotten home when it happened, and that man, who'd been resting his back on a chair, suddenly got up and growled:

"Tell me boy," he looked straight into my eyes, "What season is this?"

I studied his expression, his body, and the beer in his hand.

"Autumn." I answered.

The next thing I remember was a loud crash, a thud, and…and…blood. I was dumbfounded, scared, and so I dashed into my room. Every three seconds I looked back, checking the gap between the crazy man and myself. When I got to my room, I went inside, locked the door, and snatched Enel tightly. All I heard was an insane laughter which vibrated from his lungs. I could feel the tall figure trying to break down the door with, I did not know what, maybe some kind of weapon. I quickly placed Enel in its case, took my wallet, and climbed out the window.

My room was on the second floor so the only way out was the window. I got down by pinioning the chains of clothes I had been making (in case of this situation) to the foot of my bed. Halfway down, I saw the furious man's head out of the window and I, foolishly, let go of the clothes-chain and fell to the ground. I was in so much pain, but I kept on running, as fast as I could, or probably limping because I could not feel my left foot. Somehow, I managed to escape by hiding in the nearest DVD Rental Store. After I was safely inside, I looked cautiously back for any signs of that drunken man. No sign. Good.

It was Eight P.M. In Adelaide, stores closed at 6 P.M. I was by myself in the park, strumming my guitar with an empty look on my face. I had a small amount of money and a guitar. Nothing else. The park bench seemed to be a tolerable place to sleep. But I could not sleep. The tragedy had caused me insomnia. I knew that it was unhealthy, but I seriously needed drugs to make me feel better. Maybe Novocain. Many said that it made you feel like flying, leaving reality. That was what I needed, I didn't care if my body went numb or dead afterward.

"Hm…Hm-hm-hm…" I hummed mindlessly, like an unused puppet; still, the melody ran on my mind, expressing itself through my mouth and hand. I continued to do this until a sudden voice jolted me out of my daze.

"Hey, there," a black-haired Asian boy, slightly younger than me, had suddenly popped out of nowhere, or so I thought. His body was slim and he had a scar below his left eye. He wore a red jacket, and a straw hat was placed carefully on his head.

"I'm Luffy. Monkey D. Luffy."

I gave him no response. All I did was move my eyes to survey the new presence. I kept strumming Enel. The boy sat beside me.

"What song is that?" he asked intently, "Or did you write it?"

I ignored him and continued playing Enel. The boy seemed to be baffled by my unfriendly behavior and decided to push me with more questions.

"Why don't you join my brother's band!? My brother Ace needs a guitarist since the last one, Teach, betrayed him and started his own band. With your talent, you'll be accepted for sure! Your guitar playing and voice are so great that my eyes might pop!" he exclaimed.

I heard him, but I was stoned. He, at last, noticed my bruised body.

"You looked worn-out," he stated, moving his hand to touch my bleeding temple. I flinched briskly with the look of a wounded wolf.

"Sorry," he pulled his hand away as he watched me, "I mean no harm, okay?"

He looked straight into my eyes, reminding me of the old man, so I looked away. I still hated people and the guy beside me was one of them. I could never believe their reassurance. All of them were lies! Filthy creatures! That guy, Mon-whatever, scooted away. Good. That meant that my glare was still working. But in lieu of going away, that guy smiled. It disgusted me.

"Let me guess," he scrutinized, sending a shiver down my spine, "You ran away from home."

I gave him a how-do-you-know look. He smirked, proud that he'd solved the mystery.

"You're sitting on a bench in the park late at night. Strumming your guitar mindlessly while you're…" he gazed at me, "trembling…bleeding…dried eyes…and," he looked at my feet. I was surprised by the sight of my shaking feet and tried to stop the shaking, but I couldn't, "frightened."

I froze, struck by realization. He slowly moved his hand toward my shoulder, but stopped, as if asking permission. I closed my eyes and he patted by shoulder softly.

"Come with me."

***

Luffy brought me to his home afterward. A man, also black-haired, welcomed me with worried looks. I guessed that was because I was supported by his shoulder, nearly unconscious, with blood drying on my temples. My memories of what happened next are fuzzy because I passed out. When I woke up, I was covered with warm blanket (unlike the thin rag I used as blanket at home) and a small, wet towel on my head. I couldn't remember where I was, so I woke up in vigilance, almost attacking the man I saw previously when he tried to keep me from leaving the house. I didn't know who he was, so I kept my guard up. He sighed while shaking his head.

Showing both of his hands, he spoke, "Look, I mean no harm okay?"

Feeling a rather safe sense of déjà vu, I relaxed and waited for an explanation.

"I'm Ace, Luffy's brother," he smiled, "You were so worn out yesterday that Luffy brought you here. I heard that you ran away from home and…" he continued talking.

The only words I caught were 'you're safe here' or 'you can live here for a while' or 'Luffy's at school, while I was ordered to look after you. Since my work starts on three o'clock, I can do what he says, but he will be taking care of the rest' and so on. I was safe, a sentence that calmed me enough.

Seeing that I was tired, Ace offered me food and sleep. I was very worn out so I agreed. In my sleep, Ace put a cold, wet towel on my forehead.

I skipped school that day with fever as a reason, not excuse, because I really did had a fever. When Luffy arrived, his brother welcomed him with a brotherly hug. Luffy grinned widely as he babbled on about his experiences at school. While Luffy continued talking, Ace nodded several times and let him finish before he dashed out of the house to get to work. Strange. They looked close. Is that…is that how it feels to have a brother? I shook my head, trying to discard the uncomfortable thought just before someone slung his arm over my shoulder while shouting 'I'm back'. I gasped.

"Whoops…sorry about that." Luffy grinned.

He stared at me and swung his hand in front of my face up and down. "Hello?" He asked stupidly.

I grunted, still avoiding him. It was not my intention to back away—I guess it had already become a habit. The tan boy kept looking at me as if I was the new furniture that had arrived at his home.

"Stop staring." I murmured with a glare.

The response was not as I expected. He widened his eyes and shouted, "You can talk!?"

Duh…How stupid was this person anyway. I gave him an annoyed look.

"I can. I go to school." I retorted but stopped when I saw his uniform, "You go to the same school as me." I stated disbelievingly. Luffy grinned.

"That means we could stick together more often, right?"

***

He really did hang around me all the time. I had already told him to back-off, but that didn't stop him. It would have been fine if he were only hanging around me, but the main problem was that he talked! No interval between sentences. Could he just be quiet! I was exhausted! All eyes were on Luffy and I since we were the most contradictory pair in the universe.

During lunch break, Luffy sat beside me, motioning his friends to join him. I guessed he still hadn't heard about the 'Bully-hunter' rumor or maybe he heard once but didn't know that it was me. I mean, even his friends avoided me in sitting. Luffy didn't understand the way his friends were acting, so I told him that I was the so-called Bully-hunter. All he said was 'Bully-hunter!? Cool! I beat some of the bullies too, when they hurt my friend. I can't believe you got a title for that! Awesome!' and he told his friends that I was harmless. Unfortunately, I was still not used to talking to people.

"Thanks for inviting me to you friends," I said caustically.

"No problem!" He replied innocently.

A boy with the longest nose I had ever seen and weird, curly hair shoved his hand toward me while chuckling in fear.

"Ahahaha…so you're the famous Roronoa Zoro eh? Then you should know the great leader of this school, Usopp-sama!!!" he flung his arm in mid-air as his superman pose went rigid. "So…Nice to meet you?"

Once again, he brought his hand to mine. Skimming his hand, I looked away in displease, ignoring him. Slowly, Usopp lowered his hand. Swiftly, he turned his back toward me and hissed something to Luffy. I had good ears, so I heard what he said.

"See! Luffy, it is hopeless, trying to get close to the notorious devil! What were you thinking?"

Luffy shrugged lightly and gave a pleading look to Usopp, "He's fun and cool! Don't say bad stuff about him!" He turned away.

Usopp stared disbelievingly at Luffy as he muttered 'hopeless' and sat beside Luffy. Luffy grunted in response. Usopp sighed deeply, apologizing for what he said about me. I did not mind him saying all of those things. Why should Luffy care? An uncomfortable silence filled the table. Watching this, Luffy gazed at me.

"You too Zoro! Don't treat people that way! It's rude!!!"

I didn't like shaking his hand, it felt gross. I quickly let go and stood, walking away. Luffy's voice grew louder each step I took, but I did not care. I left school. I left him.

***

It was afternoon already; by then, Luffy had already gone home. I'd forgotten that I was a run-away. The only place I could go was the park. I was glad that I had brought Enel to school.

"Hm…Hm…" I sang, "Clank, clank the thrown stones sang, bouncing up and down to the park. It stayed still on a person's hand, who sat on the bench, singing mellifluously…but lonely…"

I dropped the guitar's neck while salt water leisurely fell down my cheeks. I had nowhere to go now. This is…déjà vu. Sooner or later Luffy would come and startle me from behind. It was ludicrous for me to think that I wanted him near me. Fool, such a fool. In the middle of my thoughts, I heard footsteps approaching me. I turned hopefully, expecting to see the cheerful figure, but it was not him.

***

I had tried to stand several times but I couldn't. My body was covered with scratches and blood. In front of me, a murky figure stood, panting desperately as he thought of his next move. He decided choking would be perfect. Perfect for him, not me. I could hardly breathe, especially when I was in such a condition. It made me think randomly. Mostly about Luffy. Why, oh, why did I leave Luffy? Even though he was annoying, my time with him was more lively than usual. I regretted, regretted, and regretted until I realized that my vision was blurring. It was the end. The end of my pathetic life.

I started to hear voices other than the geezer's. It was Luffy's voice. Haha…this truly was the end, wasn't it? I was starting to hallucinate. I wondered what heaven would look like. I wondered if there even was one. I wondered if I could see my mother there. Would I be able to see Luffy again someday? I didn't know. Oh God, please let me rest in peace.

"Zoro, Zoro! Zoro, are you alright!"

Ridiculously, I laughed. I saw a vision of Luffy, calling my name and holding my shoulders. This was just the time for me to leave. Goodbye world.

***

The morning sun comforted me with warmth, accompanied by the peaceful chirrup of birds. But my body, I couldn't feel it at all. My eyes, on the other hand, were stinging. I tried to move a hand to rub them but, I couldn't. Every part of me was aching. I felt as though an anchor was weighing me down, while a hammer was hitting my head. The surveillance was not patent and my thoughts were not constant. Several times I blinked to regain my conscious. The first thing I saw was…a cardiogram?

"Zo?" A voice asked.

I tilted my head a bit so I could see who was there. It could be my mother, and angel, or even God himself. Who knew? I was in heaven now, a hospital in heaven, apparently.

"You're awake!" Luffy cried. Luffy?

His smile was wider than usual. It looked like his brother's warm smile though, his was livelier. Gingerly, he examined my body which led me to realize that I was wrapped in white bandages almost everywhere. Someone could have mistaken me for a mummy. I opened my mouth slightly.

"Where…am I?" My voice sounded more pathetic than I had expected though, he still smiled in relief.

"Hos-hospital!" He answered jumpily, more like a squeak. Realizing that his voice sounded weird, he put both hands on his mouth and started to blush. I shook my head.

"My voice sounded more pathetic than yours," I coughed, guessed it was caused by the choking, "Stop being shy. It's annoying."

His expression changed, more to joking than angry, "I'm not being shy!"

A tiny smile formed at the corner of my mouth. He didn't notice. So I reminisced, while he talked, trying to remember why I was in the hospital. Suddenly, it all come back to me. I widened my eyes, cutting him off mid-sentence.

"The old man!" I clamored, keeping his gaze, "Where's he!"

"I knew you would ask. Now…now…" Luffy calmed me quietly. His face took on a serious expression.

"Your father," he said, "was arrested and is staying at the police department." I kept staring, giving him permission to continue. "My brother is working on that now. We're trying to find relatives that can keep you, if there are none, then perhaps you can stay with us."

Luffy glanced hopefully. I looked away.

Biting my lip, I began thinking to myself. Luffy sensed it and left me be. I had troubled them so much, too much.

"You don't need to trouble yourselves. I will still live with him, my father."

He gaped, "What! He almost killed you!!!"

I understood why he acted that way. Before listening to his complaints, I snapped, "Two more years. Two more years then I can be free. I'll be able to survive. If you're afraid of that old man hurting me, you can check my house any time you like. In the next two years, I will work, and live in an apartment." Again, I reiterated, "I'll live."

Luffy gulped, gazing at me with respect, "Wow…Zoro, you're so cool…" he muttered.

I could only chuckle briefly. He looked so silly, his eyes beaming in stars of admiration. I couldn't help but smile every time he grinned and played around.

"Hey, Zoro." He tilted his head.

"Hn?"

"Why's your hair green?"

I narrowed my eyes, thinking of the answer I should give. "That's because…I like…green." I couldn't figure out another reasonable answer.

Luffy raised an eyebrow before laughing subsequently as his hand held his stomach. "You're one interesting person, aren't you??"

I shrugged as a half-smile formed on my mouth.

"I'll always visit you, Zoro!" he pulled his knees to his chest and placed his chin on his knees. It was a very cute position, like a dog waiting to be petted.

"Ah," I nodded, "I'll be waiting"

With that we kept the atmosphere placid.

***

The D family had helped me a lot, even in escorting me home.

The house was empty. Ace said that the old man would return from the police tomorrow. I glanced around the room. Ace and Luffy had cleaned the mess so the house now cleaner than I'd ever seen it. Glancing secretively, I saw Luffy giving me a supportive smile. I inhaled deeply at the start of my new lifestyle.

"I'll live."

**End**

~0~hiver~0~

**So, that's all. I have trouble in choosing the title. Since the auto-biography book's title is Roronoa Zoro, I use it as my story's title too :P And why Kohza??? That's b'coz I can't think of any other young character with that personality!!! Just imagine young Kohza with his adult personality (before meeting Vivi). That way you can imagine the boy, no? *nervous laughs*Since Zoro's father had never been told, let's just say that he's a mad man where Zoro can't hit back because of the psychological pressure he'd been suffering since he was born (you'll understand if you experience it). Anyway,review!!! **

**~Hiver =3 **


	2. Freedom

**Well, well, well. It turns out that this story consists of two chapters! (Based on Lectori's review about Kohza's condition afterward). Thank you for DoubleMintTwins becoming my Beta reader!!! They're awwwsome!!! *grin and present a bucket of lavenders to Twins* **

**(Btw, *** is for the separation between time and ***** is for Kohza's dream.)**

**Warning: This chapter begins with Kohza's story. If you don't enjoy angst, pain, etc, you'd better not read it. There'll be a slight KohzaVivi at the end. Oh. ZoLu is still not forgotten, so don't worry ******

**Enjoy~ **

~0~hiver~0~

**Roronoa Zoro**

-Chapter 2: Freedom-

The room was never disquieted. Its simplicity was proven through the plain white wall with neither posters nor photos. The only voice heard was the continuous tick of the clock. Over time little had changed; the bookshelf probably had, books were added either every week or month. That was all. Even onlookers could judge that the host of the room was a man of austerity, with a definite lack of social values.

In the middle of the silence, a brown-haired boy laid on the bed, unable to sleep. He glanced at the ceiling, murmuring. The tone of his voice was a mixture irritation and curiosity. Angered by his own frustration, he snatched the brown leather book again and flipped through its pages randomly.

"'I will live'." He recited, locked his gaze on the last page of the book. "What do you mean by 'I will live'!?"

Baffled, baffled, baffled. The entire book was now finished, yet, it still made no sense! Kohza had gotten his psychologist's entire autobiography. The boy had read it as delicately as he could. It had taught him _some _things. Now he understood that there were others who'd had even more painful experiences than he. Now he knew that his former antisocial doctor had gone through that. But how!? What did he do to survive the next two years facing his father? 'I will live.' _How_ did he live!?

Groaning, the boy hit his pillow. He was confused. Too much. It was too much. Tears fell from his cheeks. Realizing this, the boy quickly rubbed them away. It was to no avail, tears kept rushing from his eyes. He buried his face in the pillow in embarrassment.

"Father…Father…"

The boy slept. And as he began to dream, he remembered.

*****

"Kohza, don't sleep while you're eating!"

What? Who dared to wake me up?

"Shut up." I glared, eyes on the speaker. …No, it couldn't be. It was… was it really him? Why was he alive? Father…

Thwack.

"That was impolite, Kohza." My father looked at me with a stern gaze; his hand was clenched after he had hit me lightly.

I rubbed my head, then my eyes. The view had become clearer, and it was proof that my father was in front of me, alive. His whitening, curly hair and moustache, his rounded eyes, and his plump body…were real. I reached out a hand, touching his face. His calm features were turning into a frown.

"What's wrong?"

It was unbearable. I sat up, dashing into his arms with a hug. Another tear fell.

"Father…oh father…"

Warm, he was warm. The hit he'd dealt was painful, wasn't it? Did that mean that this wasn't a dream? I had just woken up from a nightmare, hadn't I?

Arms flung around me, tenderly embraced me.

"Ssh…Now, now…I don't know what's wrong but," he smiled at me, "Boys shouldn't cry right?"

I was trembling, not to mention hiccupping. But he was right. Kohza, be strong. Hold your tears. Inhale. Exhale. Good. I let go of him.

"Sorry, I just had a bad dream."

He smiled wonderfully.

The bell rang. Someone was here. I stood, smiling before I left, and opened the door.

"Hello, Kohza. Long time no see." A tall man, scar across his face, stood on the door way. His smirk made him look more attractive.

"Crocodile!!!" I shouted happily, arms up.

Again he smirked; this time it was followed by both arms, hugging me in mid-air before putting me down. I laughed. Crocodile was a good friend of my father. He owned a big hotel chain called 'Rainbow'; his wealth rivaled even the mayor's. Yet, he was still humble enough to stay in touch with his old friend, my father. Both my father and I respected him, trusted him. Everyone did. One couldn't help admiring a gentleman like him.

"Toto!!!" He called my father's name. When my father showed up, they both shook hands cheerfully.

"My old friend, Toto," he voiced, "It was indeed a long time since I last saw you."

"Indeed, Crocodile." His arms crossed, "What brings you here my friend?"

Mother and I busily tidied the guest room. Crocodile sat on one of the chairs and asked my father to do so as well. When I looked, I saw Crocodile signaling to my father to talk in private. Without being told, I withdrew and went to my room. I had no idea what their conversations were about, but from that time on, my father grew thinner and thinner. His smile grew smaller and smaller as well. He was depressed. I asked him what was wrong, he said it was nothing.

Until one day…

Friday, January 13, 2008. 7 PM

"Kohza dear, call your father down to have dinner." My mother smiled while she was preparing dinner. I smiled back and headed upstairs, into my father's room.

Weird…the light was off. Father never did that accept when he was sleeping. Holding my breath, I entered the room slowly. It was very quiet.

"Father?" My voice echoed inside the room eerily.

I checked the bed in vain. I searched for any sign of him, but there was none. I pushed my way to veranda and I saw his back, facing the sunset. The sun was low, the sky bright orange, creating a more patent view of my father. He seemed taller. I shifted my eyes from up to down; shaking myself out of reality. This was not real. His feet couldn't possibly be above the ground. No, there couldn't, mustn't be any ropes around his neck. I drew near, reaching a hand out to his, searching for any sign of life. None. There was none. I glanced up. His face…it was agonizing. Then I shouted, screamed, and forcefully tried to reject the reality in my mind. No! No!! No!!!

I vomited…

Lost consciousness…

The day my father died…

Committed suicide…

*****

Choking, Kohza opened his eyes, back to reality. He sat, panting harshly as he grasped his chest. Pain. It hurt. He felt numb and aching. He remembered the cause… The source of his pain. Slowly, his pain turned into turmoil.

"Cro…co…dile…!"

He would not forget the darkest day of his life.

The boy furiously walked to his bookshelf, snatched a small box and unlocked it. One hand pulled a piece of paper from inside and he reread the sentences, over and over again.

"_Lily…Kohza…I am sorry for leaving you this early…but I have no choice,__ nor the courage__ to tell you how much I am in debt. Once I foolishly borrowed money from Crocodile…but __I never__ thought that...the payment would double, triple. I am a fool…Crocodile is a brilliant __man__ indeed. I want you to be careful with him, and be __careful yourselves__. Do not hold a grudge __against__ him. It was all my stupidity. I'm sorry, Kohza. I'm sorry Lily, my wife. Use my insurance money for the rest of your life. "_

Again, he read, until angry tear began to flow. The paper was found in his father's pocket on the day he died. True, he followed his father's last order to not hold a grudge against Crocodile. But the cruel man's alter ego was still unforgivable. At least Kohza resisted the urge to get revenge. From that day on, Kohza had trusted no one but his mother. They were nothing but liars!

Inhaling deeply, he tried to let it go. When he opened his eyes, the leather book laid in front of him. Clutching it tightly, he decided he would wait until morning came and seek some answers from the doctor.

***

Saturday morning was usually thought of as the best time of the week. Unfortunately, Kohza was not one who thought so. It was a miserable day. His eyes were red from tears. His sleeping position last night resulted in aching muscles. How he wished he could just not wake up, but he knew he couldn't. He had felt how it was to loose someone precious and he didn't want his mother to experience the same thing twice.

Lazily he got up, rubbing his temples before making the bed. Quickly, he ran to the restroom to wash away any traces of his tears. When he had his face washed, he stared at his own reflection and was ashamed. After he changed clothes, he went downstairs to meet a pair of beautiful eyes. Those eyes belonged to his mother. Since his father died, Kohza became depressed and became an antisocial, but not his mother; she was the strongest woman Kohza had ever loved. Indeed she was in grief after his husband died, but realizing that her son was alive, she left all the gloominess behind and continued her life with no sign of depression. 'Gorgeous' was how Kohza would describe her.

"Food will be ready soon." She smiled beautifully.

Kohza nodded and smiled at her. He promptly helped his mother cook the eggs while she made the bacon. Kohza opened the refrigerator looking for eggs but only found one was left. Frowning, he turned.

"Only one egg left." He shrugged.

"Then, I won't eat one." Mother smiled humbly at Kohza. Kohza was displeased by his mother's kindness. He briskly put a jacket and shoes on, heading towards the door before replying to his mother's confused look.

"There are eggs at the Seven-Eleven, right?" He grinned as he was opening the door. "I'll be back soon."

His mother sighed behind the door, but she was delighted by her son thoughtful action.

***

The brown-haired boy sauntered along the sidewalk. The fresh air of oncoming spring brushed by, forming a satisfied smile on the boy's face. Now the long cold was going to end. Kohza's favorite seasons were spring and autumn. Autumn. The doctor also liked that season, didn't he? The boy shuddered at the thought being beaten just for liking one season. That psychologist sure had a tough life. This reminded him of returning the book. If he was not mistaken, the doctor was free at 10:00 AM. He would visit the hospital later.

Walking into the Seven-Eleven, he walked to the back of the store and grabbed a carton of eggs. The woman at the cashier was kind and young; she somewhat resembled his mother. She smiled as Kohza, who put the eggs in front of her.

"Helping your mother, are you?" She smiled.

Kohza gave a rare half-smile back to the stranger and paid the food. Just when he was about to push through the exit door, he stopped. Thinking for a moment, he hesitantly went to the fridge and took a chocolate ice cream. He was a ten-year-old boy after all. There was nothing wrong with liking chocolate ice cream. The cashier woman chuckled at the embarrassment on the boy's face while he handed the ice cream to her. Before going out of the store, he glanced at the store's clock; it was 8:15 AM, still early. He had a habit of eating ice cream in the park, if he didn't, it just felt wrong. Wondering what to do, he decided to use the longer path to his house. Even though the route was longer, he could pass the park before going home.

Holding the still-wrapped ice cream, Kohza watched his hometown in enjoyment. He changed his mind about Saturday; it was the most comforting day. The sun was undeniably beautiful as it rose; the clouds followed the sun's path in their violet-orange color towards the horizon. Gorgeous, he fell in love with the panorama until he realized that he was on the border of the park already. For a moment he stopped to open the ice-cream wrapper. He walked between the trees when he was finished. Glancing at the trees, he took a deep breath. How pleasant. In the middle of his observation, he saw another green, not the color of the leaves. It was different and seemed to be recognizable to Kohza. Kohza slowed his pace and peered between the big trees to get a better view.

"Isn't that…" he peered, "the doctor?"

Today was his lucky day. He strode, almost running toward the person until he realized that he was not alone. A black-haired boy, or maybe a man, was sitting on the bench beside the doctor. Suddenly Kohza felt that it wasn't right for him to be seen, so he hid behind the tree and peeked. Gulping, Kohza noticed that the two persons' heads were very near. Too near. When both of them sat intimately, with the doctor's arm on the boy's shoulder, and with faces so near, didn't that look like they were going to…? Oh, shoot.

Kohza yelped as he gaped at the couple. He couldn't help to show his presence in front of the two. The doctor heard the yelp and opened one eye to see the pervert who interrupted their calm kiss on the perfect day. Astounded, he broke the delicious kiss and also shouted at the brown-haired boy.

"You!" The green-haired, muttering under his breath about the boy's name, then pointed his index finger at the boy. Finally, he remembered. "Kohza!"

Kohza was dumbfounded, he found himself unable to move. It was the first time for him to see man and man relationship, but he wouldn't care if who he saw were strangers. This time he was seeing the person he quite respected kissing a boy!

Breathing haplessly, he flinched when the older man reached out to him. Zoro rubbed his temples, murmuring 'oh right, he_ is_ a patient' as he stepped back from the boy.

"Zoro, who's he?" the raven-haired boy tilted his head in curiosity.

The green-haired man turned toward the other boy. "He's…a patient of mine."

The young man's pout switched into a grin. "Ah…is that so!" before jumping toward the trembling boy.

Judging from the appearance, Kohza could guess that this person was Luffy, but he was so surprised that he backed off. Luffy extended a hand and grinned widely.

"I'm Monkey D. Luffy," he smiled cheerfully.

Kohza stepped back once more; eyes showing a mixture of amazement and distrust. Luffy didn't notice the expression in Kohza's face; he kept closing the gap until he pulled one of Kohza's hands into a greeting.

"What's your name?" he asked.

Kohza hesitated, but he felt the aura of this other boy was safe. "Koh-Kohza."

Luffy repeated, "Kohza. Nice name!"

Just before Luffy bombarded him with more questions, he was pulled back by Zoro. Zoro knew the situation was going to be troublesome if he let Luffy continue, so instead, he laughed nervously in front of Kohza.

Kohza took a breath and tried to make a better situation. The book!

He spoke up, "Your…book. It's at my house. Not far."

Zoro, as a psychologist, understood and took Luffy's arm to follow Kohza to his home.

***

Kohza's mother was very surprised to see her son bring his doctor and a stranger along with the eggs. She quickly let them inside and invited them to breakfast with them. Zoro declined the offer but Luffy's smile widened as he heard the word. Kohza's mother was glad to see the enthusiasm of the other boy and dashed to the kitchen to prepare more food. Kohza showed them to the dining table and went to help his mother to make the breakfast, but his mother said that it was impolite to let the guest wait by themselves at the dining table. Kohza simply could not refuse his mother's demand. He sat across the table from the guests, fidgeting uncomfortably as he was not used to it. Zoro, having been in the same situation before, broke the silence.

"The book?" he questioned.

Suddenly the boy remembered. He motioned the men to wait as he went upstairs to his room. Meanwhile, Luffy chuckled.

"He looks like you do, Zoro!"

"Like I _did_." He rolled his eyes.

Upstairs, Kohza took the book and readied himself to speak in front of the two. He'd really forgot about his distrust towards people. These two…they were safe. It was hard for him to put it into words. He just knew. Climbing down the stairs, he felt more relaxed. He passed the kitchen before going to the dining table and he found his mother was not there. Glancing around, he found another woman sitting with his mother in the guest room. In the middle of his deliberation, a voice called.

"Oi."

Kohza turned, remembering the owner of the book, and handed it to the green-haired man.

"Thanks," he paused, "doctor"

"Zoro," he replied, "call me Zoro"

The boy nodded. The two had eaten the food. Zoro's was half-eaten while Luffy had finished already, and was now drooling over Zoro's food.

"I didn't know that your mother is a novelist." Zoro half-smiled.

Kohza shrugged, "Yeah, she writes fiction." He glanced up, "Usually about life or occasional experiences."

"Ah…I would like to read one of her books."

"I suggest you to read 'Norwegian Wood'." Kohza chewed his beacon, "That's my favorite."

"Your mother's cool!" Luffy grinned.

The boy couldn't help but smile a little. He was always glad to have his mother praised. Then he remembered about all the haunting questions. Swallowing the food, he forgot about all hostilities and started a serious talk.

"You…had a tough life, didn't you?" Kohza gazed.

The oldest man stayed still, recalling his past. "Yeah."

Luffy pressed his lips into a thin line, irritated by the silence.

Once more, Kohza spoke, "What happened in the two years you were with your dad?"

At this point Zoro didn't really get where the kid was going with his questions, but he was an intelligent man. Biting his lips, he wondered how he should answer.

"I…" he sighed. "I met my father a week after I started living alone. He was still tense and fierce but," he glanced at Luffy, "this guy came to visit me everyday."

Zoro was lost in thought as he remembered Luffy growling each time his father was going to punch him. He continued, "I joined Ace's band, and we were pretty successful. We got money for that. I played guitar, Ace sang, and…uh…I forgot the rest of the crews' name. Anyway, we usually played at bars. Sometimes, both Luffy and his brother sang together. That was how I got money for my college."

Kohza nodded, waiting for him to continue.

The man sighed, "By travelling in a band, I met lots of people. You could say I am a one lucky antisocial. By then, I realized that people aren't so bad. It's fun to have friends, you know." Zoro laughed at the memory until he continued in a grim tone. "But then I started thinking about people like me, who weren't as lucky."

He glanced at the Kohza, "Just like you."

Kohza looked down.

Zoro carried on, "I decided to help people like me. Luffy supported me, so I studied hard until I got a scholarship and moved to a small apartment." Zoro smile contentedly while Luffy giggled happily.

Kohza was in total awe. His respect toward the older man had grown considerably. Zoro'd had a tougher life than he had, yet he was very successful. Kohza lowered his face to hide his smile.

"I," Kohza said, "didn't trust anyone since my father's suicide. He was tricked by his own "trustworthy" friend."

Everyone went silent. Luffy couldn't help but unzip his lips. "But, but, but Zoro's trustworthy!!!"

Eyes on him, Kohza, for the first time, laughed out in front of them, followed by Zoro. Luffy pouted in confusion and demanded to know what was funny. Zoro kissed Luffy's forehead for the previous comment, making Luffy blush and Kohza open-mouthed in disgust.

When the laugh ceased, Kohza stood and bowed his head in front of the two.

"Thank you. You've opened my eyes." Turning to Luffy, "You too, Luffy-san."

Zoro and Luffy looked each others. Zoro patted the boy's head.

"Hey, it's my job kid." He smiled.

Luffy tittered. "And I helped Zoro! So I helped you, too!"

Comforting silence filled the area. In harmony, Zoro and Luffy got up. "Time to go." Zoro grinned.

"See ya again next time, Kozan!"

"Kohza." Zoro hissed.

"I mean Kohza!"

Zoro watched the cute boy and hugged him tightly.

"Whoa! That tickles, Zoro!"

As the couple had their own world on the doorway, Kohza raised an arm to cover his eyes. The couple realized there was an underage boy that both laughed nervously.

"Sorry, sorry, my bad." Zoro rubbed the back of his head.

Disgusted, he muttered, "I'm straight."

Zoro rolled his eyes, "Oh-kay…"

He repeated, "I'm straight."

"I know."

"I'm straight." This time Kohza shot a victorious snicker.

Zoro was pushing his buttons. He laughed evilly, "Look, kid. If you're straight, do you think beautiful girls wanna pair up with an antisocial freak like you!?"

Kohza was also stubborn. He growled with eyes of a hyena, "You'll see! My girlfriend will be so pretty she'll make you wish you were straight!"

"Heh. Too bad kid, Luffy's my eternal girlfr-, boyfriend. No one is more beautiful than him in my eyes!" Zoro said.

"Huh!"

"Heh!"

The door was slammed.

Luffy crossed his arms while sighing, "Geez Zoro, you're hard-headed."

"And who're you to talk!"

Luffy snickered. "'_Luffy's my eternal boyfriend to which no beautiful girl could compare_'" He strutted, copying Zoro's movement when he said that.

Zoro laughed loudly with his arm flung around his lover's waist. On the other side of the door, the young boy smiled inertly.

***

Monday. The day people hate. The start of a week. The first day of work after the weekends. "The cactus among the lavender" or so Kohza thought.

Not much of a morning person, Kohza hardly fixed his eyes on his surrounding. It was never fun to wake early in the morning, especially to go to school. Even the sun's beauty was pointless on Monday.

Kohza got up like a bear roused from its hibernating days in winter. His body was not yet adjusted to movement, but he didn't want to make his dearly beloved mother climb upstairs just to wake him up. At this thought, he was newly energized; he sprinted to the bathroom and splashed warm water on his face. Felling fresh, he brushed his teeth and dressed himself in a loose T-shirt and short cargo. Inspecting his bright atmosphere from the mirror, he half-grinned before rushing downstairs.

"Good morning."

Mother was rather surprised to see her young son's expression, he was in such a good mood, but she didn't ask why.

"Good morning Kohza." He responded in a gentle voice.

Both exchanged smiles. As they ate, Kohza talked more than 'yes' or 'no', not particularly talkative, but it was more than usual. When he was at the door, he turned to hug his mother briefly. Confused, his mother sat down at her computer to type.

***

The big building, it was swarming with students, much like a nest of ants. But the inside was not sweet; no, inside was more like torture. Boys and girls, all in groups walked into this building, searching for knowledge. One of them was the brown-haired boy. He seemed invisible at school. He rarely talked. He hardly made contact. Only meticulous observers would notice, but it was rare to find one in Elementary School. There was one such girl, however. She was in Class 4-C. Her hair was deep blue, shining under the sun. The pale skin matched her beautiful curved eyes. Boys were all in love with her, while girls were heated with jealousy towards her. The observer didn't care a bit about those people, she was determined and brave.

Kohza at last found his class, 4-C. No one turned to greet him, except the girl.

"Good morning, Kohza!"

Kohza sought the source of the voice. Knowing it was from the girl, he waved a hand while saying a 'hi'.

This was not usual.

"Vivi-chan!" a boy goofily presented a bucket of flowers in front of her. "Take my love with these flowers!"

Vivi, the observer, said her thanks but turned down his offer. She was grateful for the presents, but was not interested. The homeroom teacher entered the room and the class's volume diminished.

***

Lunch, it was always crowded. Vivi pushed her way toward the counter. She glanced around before joining the line. Boys were packed in group, cursing the Science teacher. Girly-girls gossiped at one table. Meanwhile a girl sat alone at the corner table, face down. In her eyes, it was a perfect spot to sit. Having decided where to sit, she shoved her way through the people and sat beside the girl. Blue hair at her sides, she smiled tenderly while introducing herself. The other girl paid no attention and kept her eyes on the ground. This didn't dispirit the girl's determination. It might consume time, but she would wait. Always.

Sullenly, the beautiful girl ambled her way to the classroom. She was determined by her decision to sit with the lonely girl, but disappointment engulfed her as the girl rejected her. Thereafter, life seemed normal once again. She was resilient. Soon her steps grew shorter, and eventually came to a stop. The number one bully in the school's laughter reverberated through the hall. A goofy, pink-haired boy trembled on his knees while his hands up shielding his head.

"Buggy…" Vivi snarled as she glared at the bullies' leader.

The students were all frightened of Buggy; not to mention his followers: Mohji and Cabaji. Everyone watched the boy in pity. Not Vivi.

Vivi ran and stood in front of the boy, both arms were stretch out to her sides. The goofy boy looked up in fear but was relieved nonetheless. Buggy was surprised by her sudden aid, which resulted in more vicious laughs. His followers did the same.

"Well, well, well…_Princess _is acting as a hero." Holding his laughs, the red-nosed boy's expression was full of arrogance. Vivi ignored him.

"Leave him alone!" she squeaked.

The maniacal laughter gave way to evil chuckles, sending a shiver down her spine.

"'_Leave him alone_!'" He copied the girl's previous act in exaggeration.

Vivi didn't waver. "Stop it!!!" She shouted harder.

Buggy was irritated. He shot her a glare and grabbed the front of the girl's shirt, holding her off the ground. Vivi tried to wriggle from the grasp, but her body didn't have the strength for that. The malevolent boy was pleased to see her in that state. All the watchers stayed silent, felt pity for the girl but didn't want to take the risk to help her.

Mortified, Vivi kicked Buggy's 'precious spot' and she was released while Buggy curled on the floor, holding his manhood in pain. In the middle of his pain, anger took over and he ordered his followers to torture the arrogant 'princess'. The girl was powerless; she felt fear creep into her. The pink-haired boy swiftly stood in front of her in a gesture of protection. Surprised, Vivi saw the boy's staggering feet (not to mention his nervous eyes) and smiled as she overcame her fright.

Both were prepared to fight, but unfortunately they were outnumbered. Vivi managed to avoid three or four attacks, but not the fifth. It came from her blind spot. She saw it too late, and could only pray that it wouldn't hurt that much. Frowning, she closed her eyes tautly…but nothing happened. Surprised, she carefully opened her eyes. A boy, brown-haired and slightly taller than an average fourth-grader, set the attacker's fist onto his own and was now gripping it until the victim squirmed in pain.

"Kohza…" Vivi was agape, slowly putting her defensive hands to their normal position.

Kohza paid no attention to her comment, he just faced the bullies with such a ruthless look that they were freaked out and ran in random directions.

"You cowards! Come back here!!!" shouted the red-nosed leader.

Realizing that it was now three on one, Buggy scooted back and grumbled peevishly, "You will pay for this, fools! I won't forgive you, especially you!" He pointed the brown-haired newcomer, and fled.

Kohza felt that the situation was now just right to start a talk. "You okay?" He lent a hand to the shaking girl. She took his hand and helped the other pink-haired boy up.

"Yes. Thank you very much." She bowed formally.

The boy found it awkward to reply to her sudden polite gesture, but nodded in reply as he tried to hide his crimson face. As the matter ended, he left the two and walked off into the classroom.

"Wa, wait!" Now the pink-haired boy did the same thing as the girl. "Thank, thank you!"

Kohza stopped for a moment, but continued walking.

Vivi was still dissatisfied; she would have run after him, if the bell hadn't rung. All students went to class and were in their seats. Vivi stood impatiently, waiting for school to end so she could continue her business with the boy she knew as Kohza.

***

The class was almost over—two minutes left. What was supposed to be a short time seemed to be unbelievably long for Kohza. The boy had been tapping his finger on the table incessantly, glancing back and forth from his watch to the teacher.

Finally, the final bell rang, causing the student to raise their arms in victorious poses.

"Hallelujah," Kohza murmured as he packed his bag.

Now, off to home. The boy's mind drifted to the thought of sleeping just when someone tapped his shoulder. Turning, he saw a pair of beautiful eyes.

"Kohza!" she panted. The doorway was so crowded that it was even hard to reach the boy's shoulder.

Kohza motioned for her to wait until they were outside. Vivi nodded in agreement.

Outside, the two walked together until the previous pink-haired boy joined the crew. Kohza tilted his head at the two followers.

"I, I'm Coby! Thanks for saving me back then!" said the pink-haired boy.

Vivi followed, "And my name is Vivi! I haven't showed much of my gratitude. Is there anything I can do to thank you?"

Coby nodded with her in anticipation.

Kohza was not used with this condition. True, he had acted in reflex to save those two, but it was only because he was idle and, deep down on the bottom of his heart, he'd tried to shake off his feeling of distrust towards people. Rapidly, he shook his hands in a 'no' gesture. He really didn't expect any thanks.

"No, you don't need to do anything! It really was nothing. Hey, you need to stop bowing and thanking!" He ordered them to stop.

Coby and Vivi looked each other in confusion. They were offering kindness in return, but it was refused, so what should they do?

Clumsily, Kohza made his way to the school's gate and waved a goodbye at them. Vivi's expression fell into sadness…and loneliness according to what Coby saw.

"Not again…" The girl sighed.

Irritated, the boy who was usually a coward pushed his way through the crowd to grasp the hem of Kohza's shirt. Kohza gazed at him in confusion as Coby dragged him out of the crowd to talk in privacy.

"I, I know you saved me but," he glared at Kohza, "I simply can't believe you're the same as the others!!!"

This was totally puzzling the boy. What had he done wrong?

Rubbing his back, Kohza talked earnestly, "I don't get it."

"Sure you do!" Coby turned angry. "Do you know how much Vivi helps people!?"

Kohza stayed silent, still confused.

"She, she doesn't have unbelievable strength like you, yet…she stands up for the bullied kid with suppressed fear! She…she is really brave!!!"

Kohza scratched his itching cheek and muttered, "So?"

Coby went berserk, "So why did you act the same as others after all the good things she had done!!! Even though she was the daughter of Cobra Nefertari, she is humble, unlike the rest!" He took a quick breath, "You don't need to get away from her just because she's rich, like the other kids do!"

Panting, Coby felt relieved after he had let out all of his anger. Now fear was crawling under him. This person in front of him had scared the bullies, how about him?

Kohza didn't mean to act innocent, but he was innocent. Watching the boy in bewilderment, he questioned slowly. "So…I still don't get it. First, who is Cobra Nefri, Nef-who?"

"Nefertari." He corrected.

"Yeah, that one, who's he? Or she…?"

A breeze passed through boys. A crow flew above them in the sky, cawing loudly as if laughing at the boys' stupidity.

"You don't know Nefertari Cobra?"

The taller boy shook his head hastily.

Mouth agape, Coby was speechless. After a moment he began speaking so fast that Kohza could hardly understand him. "You don't know the mayor of this town!? The owner of one of the biggest hotel chains in the country, rivaling even Crocodile's!?"

Kohza's ears twitched at the last word Coby shouted, but it was not the time to get heated up. He scrutinized the boy's condition: eyes stared in disbelief, breathed in a pant, and arms hung loosely as his back curled forward. Well, Kohza had been antisocial. How could he know about him? Slightly he brushed the back of his head in a troubled, curt frown before he locked his gaze at the smaller boy in seriousness.

"I don't know who she is," he stated, "and I didn't realize that I was being rude to her."

Slowly he raised an eyebrow as the kid, Coby, gawked at him. He patted his shoulder. "I'm going to apologize." And he walked off, searching for the girl.

Coby stayed, still with an incredulous look.

***

A sigh escaped from the little girl as she swung to and fro. Brown leaves were brushing themselves through grass while the wind did the same to the swaying swing (5). Aqua hair swayed along with the swing. Feet above the ground, the little girl pushed off the ground angrily; like a knight brandished his sword menacingly at the ceaseless rising number of enemies. She underwent her childhood life in loneliness. She didn't blame her father; he was the wisest person she knew, and she loved and respected him. Nevertheless, she sometimes wished that her father was a normal worker with no different status compared to her school friends. Biting her lower lip, Vivi tried her hardest to not cry

She broke into tears.

"Oi."

At hearing the voice she brushed away the tears, afraid to be seen by some annoying boys who would tease her later at school. Curtly, she looked over the person that had just arrived. The boy was panting wildly with hands rested on his knees. Remembering the unwanted memory, she averted her eyes over another possible object.

Kohza had tiredly searched for the girl everywhere in town, only to find her facing another way in irritation. The boy took a deep breath after the long gait he had just endured to provide his muscles more energy. The girl paid no attention as she bit her lower lip. This was going to take more time for Kohza.

Sighing, he spoke in a low, assuring voice, "You, uh, Vivi, You have to know that I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

Vivi stayed still, eyes downcast and hands gripped tighter. An uncomfortable silence filled the air.

Kohza sighed mumbling his ignorance about her father under his breath. Luckily, Vivi caught his statement.

She whispered, "Is…is that really true?"

Confused, Kohza frowned.

She added, "I mean…are you really ignorant about my father's status?"

At this point, Kohza groaned in troublesome manner. He glowered the sullen girl.

"Status…" he sniggered at the thought, "As if I care!"

Vivi's eyes widened at his comment. Her dazzling eyes were now visible to the boy, causing him to blush a little. Ashamed by his blush, he continued babbling:

"Does it even matter!? So you're crying just because of 'status'!? Hah! Girls…such crybabies!"

Frustrated, Vivi didn't like losing. She retorted, "I am not! You boys stink, only changing underwear once a week!"

"What makes you think that!? Boys care about their hygiene. I do! You are the stinky one! Wetting your bed every night!"

"How dare you!"

Soon the rattle turned to a fierce, childish fight. Kohza had the advantage as a boy, but Vivi tried her best and successfully kicked her opponent's face twice. The fight stopped as the two were beginning to get tired. The first to get down was Vivi, her body was full of scratches while her nose was bleeding; she lied down to stop the bleeding. On the other hand, Kohza stood, panting harshly as his body was stiff after not fighting anyone for a long time. Soon, he joined Vivi lying on the ground. The air was frigid, but they still felt hot.

After the long silence, Kohza broke out, "Hey, you're not bad…" He smirked. "How about being my friend?"

Vivi was utterly speechless. It was the first time someone asked her something like that. She tensed her body to hold the tears from falling. She couldn't. She quietly sobbed and hiccupped, despite her struggle in wiping them. The girl was ready for more insults. But nothing came except a gentle stroke on the forehead.

"I guess I won't be antisocial anymore," the boy thought, "…or gay, either."

**End**

~0~hiver~0~

**So? How was that? **

**I like Bully Buggy, especially when he says 'Fools!' *hug Buggy* :P **

**But I like Twins better since they gave me the 'hotel chains' idea. ******** *bow in thanks***

**Review please…or I'll not make the bonus chapter for this story.**


	3. Bonus: If I were You

**This is the bonus chapter. So short, isn't it? Actually, this is pretty much a slight introduction of my next project "Monkey D. Luffy"...though it looks like a simple humor *nervous laugh*. Well, enjoy… **

~0~hiver~0~

**Roronoa Zoro**

-Bonus: If I were you-

Three children strolled along the park; each walking at the same pace. The harmonious trio consisted of Kohza, Vivi, and Coby. The three were known for being inseparable. They had decided to take a walk after school on Friday. And so they did. The atmosphere was very calm, yet had a cheerful air to it. The conversation kept flowing until Vivi and Coby came to the topic of their favorite band. Kohza, clueless about this sort of thing, stayed silent, but listened closely so that he could be in the loop the next time the topic came around.

Vivi clasped her hands together tightly, and with an adoring gleam in her eyes, said: "_Strawhat Pirates _is the best band in the world! Hey Coby, have you heard their latest song 'Friends'!?"

"Absolutely…" Coby trailed off into his own little world.

This 'Strawhat' group seemed so great. Kohza frowned at his lack of information. At first, he felt awkward to have Vivi as his friend… _only_ friend. But later on, Coby joined them, and Kohza felt more at ease since Vivi didn't need to talk to him all the time. Sometimes, he would flinch when Vivi or Coby suddenly tapped his shoulder, or he would glare at them, which caused both of his friends to shy away. Kohza hated himself for it. He had explained to them that he was not used to having friends, and they both tried to understand his situation. Thankfully, they got used to him with no complaints. As time went by, Kohza felt excluded from the group. Not wanting to be left out, he joined the conversation.

"What kind of music do they play?"

The two Strawhat's fans grinned proudly as if The Strawhats were their own kin. "All kinds!" They shouted, before they laughed loudly at their harmony. Kohza tilted his head down, and he scanned the ground until they were done laughing. Vivi and Coby panted tiredly. Kohza looked at them as if they had two heads.

Vivi was first to spoke, "Sorry bout that. I just couldn't control myself."

"Me neither." Coby nodded.

Again, the ex-antisocial boy was left out. He frowned deeply, but held his confused look. Vivi noticed his confusion and tried to blend Kohza into the topic.

She coughed, "You see, The Strawhat's songs vary in style. They play mostly rock, but nothing too 'screamo'. Oh yeah, they love to play jazz too, some mixture of pop, and even classic." She finished with a smile.

Now, Kohza was very interested with the topic. Combining all types of music? How cool could this band get?

Shyly, he averted his eyes and spoke in a small voice. "Eh…can I borrow one of their albums?" The brown-haired boy rubbed the side of his cheek.

The two raved at his comment, pleased to see that Kohza was interested. Kohza was grateful he had friends. It really was way better than being alone all the time. In the middle of their admiration, a male teenager passed by them. His body was slim, covered in a long sleeved turtleneck shirt and jeans. His aura was cheerful even though his eyes were invisible behind black glasses. The man stopped after he passed Kohza. Briskly, he turned and grabbed the boy's shoulder. Kohza was scared by the sudden touch, especially since he didn't recognize the person. The unknown man pouted when he realized the boy was scared of him. He quickly pulled his glasses and grinned. Kohza then noticed the black-haired man with a cheerful smile-- typical Luffy.

"Kosai!" Luffy cried.

"Kohza!" The boy corrected.

Luffy grinned widely. The boy sighed at the older man's childish behavior.

"Are they your friends?" Luffy turned to face the two beside the boy.

The now silent children were awe-struck. Their eyes were wide as their mouths openly gaped at the man in front of them.

"What's wrong with them?" Luffy questioned, making Kohza shrug.

Now, the two were gritting their teeth. "Mon-, Mon-"

"Mon?" Kohza tilted his head to the side.

"Monkey D. Luffy!!!" The two chorused.

Luffy was slightly confused. "How do you know my name?"

The first to start was Coby. "The vocalist of 'The Strawhats'…The coolest person with the most amazing voice in the world!"

Continued by Vivi, "The brother of the guitarist, Portgas D. Ace. Those two are the main figures of the Strawhats!!!"

And they both went rigid…speechless…and passed out.

"What's wrong with them?" Luffy asked innocently.

"That should be my line!" Kohza sighed exasperatedly as he tried to wake his friends with a worried look. Luffy looked around to find the cause of Kohza's friends weird behavior. Then it hit him that his vision was no longer tinted. Clumsily, he palmed his face only to realize that his glasses were no longer there.

"Crap! I took off my glasses! Ace has told me to hide my face in public! What should I do!?" And he ran in a circle, panicking, which only made the situation worse. Kohza left his friends on the ground as he tried to calm Luffy. Seriously, Luffy looked like a kid who had been separated from his mother. When Kohza grabbed the older boy's hand, his light body was pulled by the current of Luffy's swift movement. Yes, Kohza was dizzy, panicked, angry and…yes, there was too much confusion.

"Arrrggghh!!!"

_Zoro-san…I have no idea how you date Luffy!!!_

End

~0~hiver~0~

**Now you know that Luffy's the famous singer of 'The Strawhats'! Hehe…so I don't need to explain how famous Ace's band is in MD (Monkey D. Luffy). Tell me what you think! REVIEW~**


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